One of the reasons I'm such a fan of the city of Ithaca is that it puts on some great community events. Applefest, Ithaca's three day festival of things red and delicious, is my favorite of those. Stalls and stands pack the Commons and the surrounding streets, and crowds line up to see what they have to offer. Apples abound, of course, but even if you don't like apples themselves, Applefest offers incredibly tasty apple-flavored food (apple pie, apple tart, apple-pretty-much-anything-you-can-think-of), as well as delicious food from various restaurants on and off the Commons (Thai food, Chinese food, deep fried Oreos, etc.). Activities abound, and the people watching is amazing.

This year's Applefest lived up to the hype, despite being plagued by (the also annual) rain. A ridiculous number of people crowded the Commons to enjoy the festivities and activities, which included shopping...

people watching...

rides on the ferris wheel...

and visits from performers like our very own IC Circus.

I spent hours wandering the Commons and enjoying the uniqueness of Applefest, and I went home satisfied and happy. Of course now that it's behind me, I find myself craving apples. If you'll excuse me, I think I have a caramel apple hidden somewhere around here...